The Nashua Advocate --- which has been doing some excellent reporting on Election Irregularity stories for some months --- breaks the news of Christopher Hitchens' story in the March 2005 Vanity Fair finally joining the chorus of folks questioning the Ohio results.

The subscription-only magazine lists the article in their contents as such:

OHIO'S ODD NUMBERS Are the stories of voter suppression and rigged machines in Ohio to be believed? Christopher Hitchens presents "non-wacko" evidence that something went seriously awry on Election Day.

The Advocate offers some quotes from the VF piece, as well as a few quotes from Hitchens in the past regarding George W. Bush.

Since we are otherwise busy working on some other stories, we associate ourselves with their reporting on this matter for the moment.

A quick quote from the Hitchens story via The Advocate:

Whichever way you shake it, or hold it up to the light, there is something wrong about the Ohio election that refuses to add up. The sheer number of irregularities compelled a formal recount, which was completed in late December and which came out much the same as the original one, with 176 fewer votes for George Bush. But this was a meaningless exercise in reassurance, since there is simply no means of checking, for example, how many "vote hops" the computerized machines might have performed unnoticed....there is one soothing explanation that I don't trust anymore.

Hitchens was one of the many nay-sayers about Election Irregularities in the past. Here he is in a previous post-election story in Slate:

Many are the cheap and easy laughs in which one could indulge at the extraordinary, pitiful hysteria of the defeated Democrats.

...And finally then, here's Hitch on John Kerry:

"I did not think that John Kerry should have been President of any country at any time."

The Advocate piece offers more and includes some of the Republicans in Congress who are now beginning to question Ohio's Sec. of State and Bush/Cheney Re-Elect Co-Chair, J. Kenneth Blackwelll, on his motives and behavior. Please check it, and the rest of their fine reporting, out.

UPDATE 2/21/05: The entire Hitchens article has just been posted online here.

Wednesday February 9, 2005 5:46 PM
By MALIA RULON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Members of a new federal voting commission meeting Wednesday to review problems with the 2004 election denounced the secretaries of state from Ohio and Florida, two states at the epicenter of complaints, for failing to show up.
~~~

Bando Bling - not necessarily. Sitting presidents can't be prosecuted, but their underlings can - thus cutting the guts out of a badministration and rendering its "head" even more brainless and uncoordinated.

It's impossible to predict what will happen. So we might as well have faith in justice. We're resilient, and we can adjust to whatever unfolds.

This administration is moving too fast and I think they are headed for troubled waters.
A lot of things could happen then, as this frikken stupid society stops following this beast like ugly ducklings pooping indiscriminately everywhere.
At least ducklings are cute.

Especially when the hoax of victory in Iraq becomes crystal clear. Maybe even this clinically mentally disabled populace will comprehend.

We can bring up the rear with people like Hitchens continuing to speak out.

People like Hitchens should have been speaking out long ago, instead of making comments about the rantings of distressed Democrats crying fraud, but..... we'll take what we can get. If Hitchen's visibility shines a brighter light on this stolen election, then I welcome his opinion.

I used to have geese, Toulouse geese who were DEFINITELY too loose. I've got a funny story about my mother and what we called "gooze goo"... but it's OT, so you'll just have to guess.

Anyhow, Blackwell deserves whatever befalls him. And Pushcat, I too wonder whose agenda Hitchens is enabling. And why now. Maybe to cover some R. politico's rear because the criminality is so obvious that he wants to play the hero by breaking ranks and exposing it now?

Hitchens is obviously not very intelligent when he admits that DUMYA is, well, obviously DUMMMMM..., but he still believes DUMYA should be Pres. of the U.S.A., DUHHHH........

Pushcat #15 - you could be right. Maybe Hitchens can be turned in the right direction - albeit slowly - it may also mean the MSM are now whispering with each other behind closed doors about the election...not that I would consider depending on the MSM to do anything useful or timely for America...

Jim Petro, the attorney general of Ohio is running against Kenneth Blackwell for Govenor of Ohio. Now theres a possibility for Mr Blackwell to be exposed for the crook we all believe him to be. Christopher Hitchens just may have the inside track on nefarious election matters.

Ha, ha, Peg!! Gooze goo. That is so descriptive. I still say you come from a good family.

That's OK, Cheryl. I love them. They've got class. They hang out on the golf courses, while the ducks go to the muddy streams. You'll never catch a goose in the canal I live next to. They are always on the eighth hole green.

The thing about Hitchens is that he's not a looney liberal conspiracy wacko. So they can't hang that on him. He supports Bush so I guess that makes him credible. Lord.

#23 Hannah. It sure is the guy. Mr Jim Petro by filing his suit against Bob Fitrakis and the others has opened a can of worms for Kenneth Blackwell. If it goes to court this gives Fitrakis and the other attorneys the opportunity to request discovery and to take depositions. I woud think that would be Blackwells biggest fear. What a great way to destroy your opponent while making oneself look great to the rank and file RepigliCon voter. Gooze Goo. OMG

A little too convenient isn't it how these Congresspersons suddenly sit up and start asking questions only now, more than a month after the electoral college vote certification? Some of these same folks were ridiculing the "conspiracy nut" Democrats just a few weeks ago. Are they really so naive? Does it really take so long for them to pull their heads out of their stinking rear ends? Or is this part of another scam and fraud they are trying to put over us? We should be wary.

One thing that should disappear once and for all is the faux nobility about elections that public officials and the media have. It's "unsportsmanlike" to question an outcome publicly (see Kerry, the DNC, Clinton's comment "he won fair and square," every major newspaper and TV network playing dumb, even Michael Moore). Everyone, basically, except Cobb, Badnarik, Conyers, Boxer, Tubbs Jones, the "Ohio four" lawyers, and idealistic individuals.

Balderdash. Being noble just plays into the hands of cheaters. They aren't noble, are they?

I don't agree it's "too late" for truth. Nixon got through the 1972 election in grand style, winning 48 states, but was out of office by August, 1974. It's easier for Congresspeople and state officials to delve into corruption AFTER elections because the false stigma about fairness is gone (see above).

The bad stuff is coming out slowly but steadily. Cynical muckrakers like Christopher Hitchens (the H.L. Mencken of this era) don't have "whining Democrats" (wrong) to spit at once Bush has been inaugurated, so he is free to report the truth. If Petro has filed the action against the Ohio Four as a way to undermine Blackwell, it's one of the grandest Machiavellian stunts ever...yes or no, it can only help the cause. By the way, Blackwell also skipped the conference of secretaries of state, where election reform was on the agenda. Hmmm.

Karl Rove just got a promotion. Bush always rewards the loyalists. Prediction...Rove will become the fall guy for Bush, just as Haldeman and Ehrlichmann were for Nixon. Once Rove goes, the cat will come out of the bag. We'll know all about the 2004 election, and also 2000. We'll know about 9/11, the Saudi connections, and about Enron and Halliburton. History always repeats. Hang in there.

I always find things like this odd: I went to this site http://users.rcn.com/peterk.enteract/ and the only article I could not click on to read was the article by Hitchens about the Ohio irregular numbers. Isn't that a coincidence??? Anyone reading this, go to that site and see what I'm talking about.

I wouldn't even argue with Hitchens about Kerry's ability to be president - maybe he's right. But W is so horrendously bad that it's a non-issue to me. Bush has proven that he is a disaster of world-wide proportions.

One thing that troubles me: Watergate would have gone down in history as a "conspiracy-theorist" rumour, if it hadn't been the fortunate convergence of several factors. In spite of the tapes, and "Deep Throat", if there had not been an opposition congress in place, there likely would have been no threat of Nixon's removal from office by impeachment.

It is sadly probable that, no matter how much is uncovered about this bunch, this "favorable" congress will never truly act against their crimes.

Except that we now have Watergate as a precedent for presidential misconduct. Everyone over the age of 40 remembers it well. In 1974 we did have a Democratic Congress, but no experience in these matters. And Nixon had won overwhelmingly in 1972 (48 states). I'd say it all cancels out.

The other reason I'm optimistic is that 2000 is fresh in everyone's mind. It's the "Fool me once..." syndrome. It was all going to come out, but Blackwell's antics have probably accelerated the process. Keep the faith, everyone.

That's a tricky one, isn't it? Even if it could be shown conclusively that Bush won by fraud, the only Constitutional remedy is impeachment. But if Bush won by fraud, so did Cheney, automatically;
therefore it would be ludicrous to impeach Bush and let Cheney become president.

I expect they'd resign together, once Congress convinced them that they had lost all support and were no longer able to govern effectively. That's what convinced Nixon in the end. If that happened, it appears Dennis Hastert would be president. Not great, but an improvement over the status quo.

RLM # 26
A big plus on all said,
with the exception of the last paragraph.
Rove gave himself the promotion and will not be the 'fall guy'.

Without Rove george would have been a fallen eagle long ago ( as Ashcroft would have put it -A Sore eagle), and Rove knows where ALL the bones are hidden and who picked them clean. This SS blitz to come will be Rove's attempt at changing the the discourse and hiding the recent 'exposures' behind the distractions. And maybe a few bombs on Iran if needed.

Rove will protect Rove at all cost and if necessary he will let george take the fall.

Perhaps that is why Rove , who normally likes to hide in the shadows, gave himself the promotion.
Now well positioned, who would be better to take over the reins of government when george falls, taking 'the dick' with him? Hastert? Ha Ha.

"For the good of the Nation, I, Rove declare martial law and I, Rove, will step in to calm and lead a badly shaken nation".

Reads like a 'badly written Italian farce', does it not? But an interesting ending for an awful past 4 + farcical years.

As much as I disagree with Hitchens on every conceivable thing... I can't help but like him, in a contemptuous sort of way. He's like Wm F Buckley Jr with none of the discipline to bolster the arrogance. He's like a miscreant brother in law that ya just have to "smack" every couple of years. I'm glad as hell he wrote that article... let's see where it goes.

I just can't get the "hang" of VR. I"m lost over there, as much as I'd like to participate. Given the gnarly poisons the Docs are feeding me, it's not surprising. If I'm fully clothed and in my right mind, it's a good day.

Be blessed ya'all. I get to go hear my Hero, Amy Goodman in Olympia this weekend. I'm stoked about getting out of the cage and covertly ogling liberated women.

Go for it! Missing Amy today because of wretched weather was like missing three meals. VR is very good, but could stand some coherence. It's young and developing. Sorry about your meds. Whatever they are, they don't belong in the human body and I hope you're over the need for them soon. Hang tough. )

Feel free to send me email with your thoughts/concerns/troubles with VR. Much is still in motion over there, so your input is most welcome.

Things *may* make more sense next week as we hope to launch our first action. It should be a good one. Now we just have to hope that several of the key participants get better, now that I (almost) have. Seems like a lot of VR folks have fallen *very* sick all of a sudden.

Go figure, huh?

Anyhoo...more on all of that in the days ahead. Holler if you have any input, of course, on VR. And continue to forgive when I can't email back either quickly or (sometimes) at all!

Citing fraud, error, or mistake, 37 people who voted for president in the November 2 election challenged the election results with the Ohio Supreme Court in Moss v. Bush. The voters referred to irregularities including long lines, a shortage of voting machines in minority precincts and problems with computer equipment. As in any lawsuit of this kind, the four attorneys subpoenaed Secretary of State Blackwell, President Bush (who met with Blackwell the day of the election in a private meeting in Columbus, Ohio), and other state and federal officials in an effort to get supporting information. Blackwell, in turn, requested a protective order to prevent him from being interviewed, and Attorney General Petro's lawyers argued that no state officials should be required to comply with the subpoenas.

After the subpoenaed officials refused to testify, and after the Electoral College certified the Ohio vote on January 6, the four attorneys withdrew their two legal actions. New proceedings based on civil rights violations that unjustly deprived African Americans and students of the right to vote on November 2 are a strong possibility. Some of the claims might involve the well-publicized shortages of voting machines.

Ironically, by opening up these sanction proceedings and alleging that the four attorneys filed "frivolous" cases with insufficient evidence, the way has now been cleared for them to bring in a wheelbarrow of evidence that otherwise might have been excluded from the Court record. For details on the case, see http://www.votecobb.org/...5/jan/news2005-01-19.php

Current Status

The four attorneys will file an Opposition to a Motion for Sanctions in the Moss v. Bush case on Friday, January 28, and their Opposition to the Moss v. Moyer case is due Monday, January 31. To prepare their response, the four attorneys and their supporters are collecting thousands of pages of documents and making the numerous copies of each that are required by the Court. The case then will be heard, as required by Ohio law, by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer.

Ironically, Moyer himself was just re-elected in a bitterly contested election. The four attorneys raised challenges about that election in the Moss v. Moyer case. While this might seem like an obvious conflict of interest situation, Chief Justice Moyer has refused to recuse himself.

First Amendment Issues

The four attorneys collectively and individually conducted research, organized coalitions, and spoke out publicly about the alleged fraud, and some wrote articles about it. Fitrakis also is the publisher of the Columbus (Ohio) Free Press, which is a leading Internet and print repository for primary resource documents and analysis. Therefore, aside from the effect this sanctions action might have on Free Speech, it also could be seen as an indirect attack on the Freedom of the Press.

Selective Prosecution?

Another irony is that the Ohio media has reported that Secretary Blackwell sent out a fundraising letter soliciting contributions from corporate donors for his Gubernatorial exploratory committee, which is illegal under Ohio law, yet Mr. Petro's office has yet to indict Blackwell. Mr. Blackwell says the letter was "a mistake" and has pledged to send back any corporate contributions, but he has not retracted a statement he made in the letter claiming credit for "delivering" Ohio's electoral votes to Mr. Bush.

Help Needed

Attorney General Petro's request for sanctions and fines are raising suspicions that revenge and an attempt to chill our Constitutional right to voice our dissent are the reason for this attack on attorneys Robert Fitrakis, Susan Truitt, Cliff Arnebeck and Peter Peckarsky. To determine whether this is a selective prosecution, Rep. John Conyers has written a letter to Petro asking for information about the other sanctions requests Don't forget all the good work and risk that the Green Party and their attorneys took and are suffering for and need support. Please go to the Green Party Recount site (enter that phrase) to find out fully what dangers these brave attorneys are facing and the subdued defense of the Greens attorneys by the equally courageous Rep. Conyers who is up for re-election in 2006. I forgot the URL of the second site Rep. Conyers has for his campaign.

Part of 3 or 4 articles on the very threatening lawsuit against the Greens attorneys:

that Petro has filed recently (http://www.votecobb.org/newsclips/2005/jan/news2005-01-20.php). Meanwhile, support committees are rising up around the country to assist these brave attorneys.

Donate, pass the word on via email, ask people to submit affidavits, and send organizational letters of support so that future election protectors will be free of this harassment and intimidation.

If Bush flew to Ohio and met with Blackwell on Election Day, that should be provable by inspecting White House logs. It would be prima facie evidence of vote fraud, sufficient to overturn the election even now, because Bush would have had no other reason to see Blackwell on Election Day.

But Blackwell has vehemently denied any meeting or conversation with Bush on Election Day. We should therefore be careful about stating it as fact that they did have contact. If it can be shown they didn't, it would undermine the cause by giving O'Reilly and the right-wing bloggers ammunition.

Look what happened to the National Guard story after CBS used faked documents to prove something that was already true. Careful! There's plenty there, without overreaching.

I suspect it was Karl Rove, not Bush, who either met with Blackwell or talked with him on the phone.